Plant thinner and weeder



(No Model.)

JQKOEGEL. PLANT THINNER AND WEEDEB.

Patented Aug. 18, :1896'.

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I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JULIUS KOEGEL, OF DES MOINES, IOWVA.

PLANT THINNER AND WEEDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 565,906, dated August 18, 1896. Application filed January 18,1896. Serial No. 576,013. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: openings in said ends and a bolt through Be it known that I, JULIUS KOEGEL, a citithe perforation in the socket to detachably o zen of the United States of America, residing fasten interchangeable blades to the handle at Des Moines, in the county of Polk and State and the straight ends of the yoke in such a 5 of, Iowa, have invented anew and useful Apmanner that the blades will project downparatus for Thinning Plants, of which the fol- Ward or forward in the plane of the handle lowing is a specification. and the yoke that is in alinement with the Heretofore cutters have been fixed to the handle. handle or frame of a hoe at regular spaces The blades D of the tool are each preferably IO apart in such a manner that the cutters could made of fiat pieces of steel of any suitable be pulled across a row of plants to cut out length and perforated at its central portion the plants in the line of the cutters as required and ends to receive the bolts 0 and O and to thin a row of plants; but in such operathus be firmly secured to the handle. The tion' the frame or back of the hoe would come lower edge of the blade is sharpened and in I 5 in contact with the plants that were not cut its edge are formed a series of inverted-U out and by such contact damage delicate shaped openings D placed at regular interplants and retard their growth. vals apart. In Fig. 3 are shown a number of My object is to cut out and thin a row of these blades, each having the openings of difplants by a forward motion of a handle that ferent widths and at different distances apart.

20 carries cutters and to detachably connect in- It is obvious that one blade may be readily terchangeable cutters with the handle as reand quickly substituted for another and thus quired to be adapted for thinning diiferent the plants thinned to any desirable distance, kinds of plants at difierent times and to gov- ,01' rows already planted at equidistant spaces cm the width of spaces between the plants weeded and cultivated.

25 that are to remain in a row. In practical use, assuming that it is desired My invention consists in the apparatus to thin a row of plants, the operator selects hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claim, the blade having its openings at the distance 7 5 and illustrated in the accompanying drawof separation that it is desirable to have the ings, in which--- plants. He then advances over a field par- 30 Figure 1 shows the position of the handle allel with the rows and forces the tool through and cutters relative to a row of plants as rethe ground in the row'and then draws same quired in the practical use of my invention. backwardly; thus cutting out the roots of Fig. 2is a view showing the manner of detachthe plants and weeds that did not enter the ably connecting the blades with the handle, spaces. The tool is then advanced parallel 35 and Fig. 3 shows a series of blades adapted with the row and the notch on one end made for different kinds of plants and also adapted to admit the last plant left by the previous to be interchangeably connected with the cut, thus insuring regularity and equal spachandle. ing throughout the entire row. It is obvious Referring to the accompanying drawings, that by thus simply cutting under the ground 40 the reference-letter A is used to indicate a and then withdrawing the tool the probwooden handle having a grip A at its top at ability of injuring the plants that it is desired right angles, and ametal socket B at its lower to save is much less than when pulling out end, slotted and perforated. the superfluous plants by the roots by hand.

0 indicates a yoke bolted to the top of the Having thus described my invention, what 45 socket and extended downward in the plane I claim as new therein, and desire to secure of the handle to terminate in straight perfoby Letters Patent of the United States thererated ends and in alinement with the lower for, is end oft-he socket. Bolts (Parepassedthrough A hand implement, comprising a handle having a bifurcated lower end, a yoke fixed to the handle and its ends in alinenient with the bifurcated end of the handle and adapted for detachably connecting blades therewith so as to project forward in the plane of the yoke and handle, and a series of interchangeable blades each having a different number of cutters and the cutters at different distances apart, substantially as shown and described to operate in the manner set forth. JULIUS KOEGEL. WVitnesses:

J. RALPH ORWIG, THOMAS G. ORWIG. 

